What We Do

Jamaican Adaptive Agriculture Program

Sustainable food systems represent one of the greatest development challenges of the coming decade, especially in the face of climate change. To confront that challenge, INMED has adopted an innovative food production technique known as aquaponics, combining aquaculture (fish farming) with hydroponics (soilless crop production). INMED experts have modified the technique to use “off the shelf” local materials, making it inexpensive and therefore more accessible to poor families and communities.

Aquaponic systems are roughly 10 times as productive as equivalently sized plots that are traditionally cultivated, and protect both the quantity and quality of water resources by requiring no chemical fertilizers or pesticides and utilizing 85-90% less water than traditional irrigation techniques.

The aquaponic systems produce fish, usually tilapia, a hardy, fast-growing and widely consumed fish, and nutritious fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs that provide food security among families, schools and agricultural cooperatives while also bringing premium prices for favored produce at local markets, hotels and restaurants.

A single low-maintenance tank and grow-bed system can meet the nutritional needs of a family of four, plus additional fish and produce that can be sold to generate household income. But the promise of aquaponics is seen most quickly and clearly on a commercial scale. INMED’s simplified modular design allows farmers to scale up their systems as income allows, with a strong return on investment. The multiple module, commercial-size systems that INMED developed have the capacity to provide sustainable income generation for any entrepreneur.

Increasing Access to Climate-Smart Agriculture (IACA) Program Launch

September 15, 2017

INMED in-country affiliate INMED Caribbean launched the “Increasing Access to Climate-Smart Agriculture” program in partnership with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB); Inter-American Development Bank/Multilateral Investment Fund (IDB/MIF); United Nations Environment Programme-Danish Technical University Partnership and Jamaica’s Rural Agriculture Development Authority.

This 4-year initiative will enable small-scale farmers, women and youth start aquaponics enterprises via access to financing and markets, training and technical assistance. The program is supported by the Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC) (which covers Environment) and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF).